Chilled Gazpacho & Wines To Pair With This Refreshing Summer Treat

Adapted From Jose' Andres' Chilled Gazpacho Recipe.

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Temperatures are at an all-time high, the air conditioner hasn’t had a break in weeks, and everyone’s in shorts and t-shirts.  The last thing you want to do is fire up the stove or cooktop, right?  If you’re looking for a delicious, flavorful, chilled repast that doesn’t require raising the temperature in your kitchen, we have the perfect recipe for you.

Although we associate gazpacho with the Spanish, the word gazpacho is derived from the Arabic for “soaked bread”.

PREP TIME: 60 Minutes
SERVINGS: 4

Gazpacho

 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into chunks

 8 ounces cucumber (1 cuke) peeled and cut into chunks

 3 ounces green pepper, in large pieces

 1 garlic clove

 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

  extra-virgin olive oil

  salt

Garnish

 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 1 slice rustic white bread

 6 plum tomatoes, with seeds, prepared as fillets

 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into cubes

 4 pearl onions, pulled apart into segments

 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

    sea salt

 4 chives, cut into pieces

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Step 1

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic and sherry vinegar and blend until the mixture becomes a thick liquid. Taste for acidity; this will vary with the sweetness of the tomatoes. If it's not balanced enough, add a little more vinegar. Add the olive oil, season with salt, and blend again. Strain the gazpacho into a pitcher and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Step 2

In a small pan, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat and fry the bread until golden, about 2 minutes. Break into small pieces to form croutons and set aside.

Step 3

In small bowl, stir olive oil, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush marinade over onion and red pepper. Toss half of remaining marinade with chicken and remaining marinade with shrimp.

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Tomatoes aren’t the challenge people make them out to be when considering wines, but they have an influence.

Tomatoes are quite acidic with their acidity often offset by sugar content, with yellow and orange colored being higher in sugar content, however acidity levels remain constant regardless of sugar.

I find pairing a wine that has a good level of acidity too, while steering clear of oakiness.  Since we’re pairing with gazpacho, we want wines that pair with uncooked tomatoes.  Cooking tomatoes alters the acidity and changes what wines pair well with the final dish, so we’ll stick with wines with fresh tomatoes.

Your best bets are crisp dry whites and rose’s.  In the French category I’d try a Picpoul de Pinet or a dry southern French rose’, especially Provencal rose’, or a light Sauvignon Blanc or Cotes de Gascogne or Cotes de Duras pairs well.  A more restrained Sauv Blanc might be Reuilly from the Loire may be more to your liking.

If you’re more interested in Italian, Pinot Grigio works well, anything from the Alto Adige to a Falanghina, Pecorino or Grecodi Tufo from southern Italy.

The Protea Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape of South Africa is another great choice.

Manzanilla Sherry is a go-to match for soups generally but can be hit-or-miss.  When it works it’s spectacular, and when it doesn’t, well, it doesn’t.

Experiment with different wines, finds what works for you, and Buen Provecho!

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